Positive-strand RNA viruses include the majority of the plant viruses, a
number of insect viruses, and animal viruses, such as coronaviruses,
togaviruses, flaviviruses, poliovirus, hepatitis C, and rhinoviruses.
Works from more than 50 leading laboratories represent latest research
on strategies for the control of virus diseases: molecular aspects of
pathogenesis and virulence; genome replication and transcription; RNA
recombination; RNA-protein interactions and host-virus interactions;
protein expression and virion maturation; RNA replication; virus
receptors; and virus structure and assembly. Highlights include analysis
of the picornavirus IRES element, evidence for long term persistence of
viral RNA in host cells, acquisition of new genes from the host and
other viruses via copy-choice recombination, identification of molecular
targets and use of structural and molecular biological studies for
development of novel antiviral agents.